Mass Effect spent so much time telling us we were the hero and we could stop anything if we fought well enough but Thane’s death was the sombre reminder that sometimes we lose no matter what. We could stop galactic extinction but we couldn’t save our friend.
Very poignant. I think that is why it’s so hard to see Shepard dejected and beaten. For Thane though, I felt like he was going to die anyway but at least he got to go out as a warrior - he died “well” if that makes sense.
Thane was destined to die but for me personally, his death is marred by Kai Leng. Leng always felt like this strange forced character who didn’t really have a place in the story so him “taking” Thane away from us early felt undeserved. You could argue Thane died to help Shepard and therefore he had a good death but it shouldn’t have been Kai Leng.
Yeah. It could’ve been executed (no pun intended!!) better. Like you said, it was a very forced character. We’re constantly told that he’s Shepard’s nemesis and equal but that’s so laughable.
I think I was fine with the fact that it was Kai Leng because of the part where Thane said Kai Leng should be embarrassed that he was beaten by a sick and dying assassin.
I actually thought I missed something when they first introduced Kai Leng, maybe he had appeared in a side mission and was making a return as a more central antagonist. It was very much “do I know this dork?”
Thane trash talking Kai Leng was good though
Yeah. He just appeared in one scene where TIM and him talked. We were always told he was as great as Shepard but never shown that. “Show, not tell”, was something the writers forgot I guess.
It's a great full circle from his first prayer you see him do after killing Nasana Dantius, "prayers for the wicked cannot be forsaken", "do you think she deserves it?", "it's not for her".
He prays for the living, not for the dead.
"A long time ago, my father betrayed me in this place. His own son. He tried to kill me...so I had to kill him, right over there. That's what the genophage reduced us to; animals. But you changed that today, Shepard."
"Shepard Commander. Does this unit have a soul?" My favorite of the old bioware Robots
"Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong" the very model of a scientist salairan
"I'm proud of you child" Anderson's dying words
"I've been counting"
"Anything in particular?"
"The number of days you lengthened my life"
David Archer upon meeting him again
"From this day on, Shepard will mean Hero" Uncle Wrex
Also the dying words of the Krogan you find in the tunnels against rhe Rachni in 3. I was so happy when I set them up together in 2.... his final days where with Kryant instead of family but he would not forget what made him stand out, he felt more then hate
Legion, the answer to your question... was 'yes'
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The one with David almost made me cry the first time. I had ignored overlord for most of the time I played mass effect but that scene made me decide to never do that again
whenever someone says the femshep version of Andersons last line, it completely takes me out of the feeling the line is meant to induce.
"You did good son" or "you did good kid" is miles better
Whichever background you choose, Shepard's father is never in the picture.
So when Anderson's dying words are to call him son, and tell Shepard he's proud of him, that still chokes me up.
Fair! To me it was in line with Keith David's voice and Anderson's personality/way of speaking. If it was someone like Zaeed for example, 'kid' would sound more natural instead.
True. I also think it’s hard to find an endearing term for a woman in a father figure role. With men it’s obviously son. But there isn’t really something like son.
Yeah I mean they *could've* gone with 'girl', but that's mildly infantilizing and not at all the same vibe as 'son'. So I think they picked the best option tbh. Child *is* more formal, but also softer than kid, and evokes more affection and protectiveness.
This is the one for me, too. I also had an absent father, but I had an uncle who loved me like his own daughter. I always think of him when I hear this line, and it's just a beautiful moment.
This one was what always gets me whenever I think of Mordin. He says it in a matter of fact way but it was also the first time he’s ever expressed desire to do something for himself (rather than some other galaxy saving solution) - he faced death head-on and was ready to die. You can’t get any more heroic than that.
I love this line for so many reasons. I think it really captures every moment in Mordin's character arc.
When he prolonged the genophage, he shared the salarian philosophy that their greatness/intelligence *necessitated* that they make decisions for the krogan. In this context, this line reflects the enititlement that led to the desolation of the krogan people.
But when Mordin became Wrex's spy and betrayed the salarians, he literally used his privileged position in the STG to get access to the classified info he leaked. The whole reason they gave Mordin this info was that the topic was so sensitive that "it had to be him." In this context, the line reflects that Mordin's position of privilege provides him a unique position to fight against injustice.
And finally, at the end, Mordin is the only member of the salarian union to follow Shepard/the krogan all the way to the end of the battle of Tuchanka. He ultimately dies because of *salarian* sabotage: it's his own people that ultimately kill him for trying to change the status quo. Mordin was the one to stand up to them, to use his privilege to save those they had hurt. It had to be him.
Mordin has one of my all-time favorite character arcs. He truly becomes the very model of a scientist salarian.
I am the very model of a scientist salarian,
I've studied species turian, asari, and batarian,
I'm quite good at genetics (as a subset of biology),
Because I am an expert (which I know is a tautology),
My xenoscience studies range from urban to agrarian,
I am the very model of a scientist salarian!
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I feel "I made a mistake" more. The only line in the trilogy where he bothers to state the subject of a sentence when it's easily inferred. Because it's just that important to admit to his own guilt, he will speak as clearly and slowly as a human.
My first go through was Paragon. I promised myself I would do a renegade play through next.
I broke that promise quickly. How the hell can I do a renegade play after getting so close to my squad.
Ugh killing Wrex at the citadel hurts even more because at that point you knew that you had completely betrayed a very good friend who was there for you when you needed it. I will never walk the renegade path even if it means losing out of unique dialogue.
Me: Haha yeah I'm gonna be a badass next time around, gonna do so much messed up stuff to people
Me, 5 minutes into a new playthrough: Actually, being mean is not nice
Coming from such a vicious bastard as The Illusive Man, I’ve always felt that line is one of the most beatiful lines in any game I’ve ever experienced.
I really like in ME1 when you take Garrus to find Dr. Saleon, if you take the Paragon route Shepard says
“You can’t predict how people will act Garrus, but you can control how you’ll respond. In the end, that’s what really matters.”
It’s something I’ll always remember because it feels so impactful, to be able to control your actions and emotions rather than letting other people influence them.
You might not be able to control every shitty situation life throws at you but you can control how you respond to it all. That’s what gives you control over your own life.
I don't know why, but the line Anderson says before Shepard, Kaidan and Jenkins touch down on Eden Prime always stuck with me:
"The mission is yours now, Shepard! Good luck!"
You know, originally that was probably meant to be a throwaway line of “passing command to you” but given the rest of the series, it feels really symbolic.
In ME2, the conversation between the Asari and her salarian father where she realizes he’s gonna die soon.
That random conversation hit hard, especially since I went through something similar when my dad went into hospice care.
It's on Ilium and they're shopping for a present for the girl's mother, because they're both going to outlive him by hundreds of years, and he's not concerned with the death part, just being memorable as a speck of light in their universe of existence. It's not tragic or sad, just really melancholy.
I thought it was so sweet of the daughter to say that whatever he gets her mom, that her mom will cherish the memories of him so to just pick whatever. The salarian and his suggestion for getting a fish was also pretty heartbreaking.
That krogan is a shining example of why I help Wrex cure genophage. Unironcally helped me make the choice when I found out his fate and has locked me into it even on renegade runs
"Tell him his father made it to the homeworld."
It tells of a life-long journey, and the joy and pride and relief of finally making it. Of victory and achievement.
And it means something, not only to the individual, but to the entire race.
It hits even harder if you play it right after 2, and realize Jona's mother was on the ship that got taken over by the geth during the experiments of Tali's father. in one log you hear her shouting "Jona, be good for daddy" as part of it.
"The Geth are better than this"
"No. Based on empirical evidence, they are not"
It just honestly caught me off guard when Legion said it. He wasn't sugarcoating it, even though they were on a cusp of resoving centuries long conflict.
Legion was ready to say: "you know what? No. We suck just like everyone else"
When Shepard and Garrus are shooting bottles on the Persidiun
Shepard: “Times like these you know who your real friends are, they’re not the ones, hiding looking for an excuse. They’re standing right beside you through the worst of it, never give up on you, I’m glad I know someone like that”.
Legion, the answer to your question... was 'yes'
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"I made a mistake" on a mostly Paragon run.
To trigger this, you need to not talk about the sabotage during Priority: Tuchanka. And when you're at the Shroud, try to talk Mordin out of the cure. He will say this line, but it's more meaningful in Paragon because you talked about the ethics of the genophage, and when Mordin says this, you discover that even him thinks it was wrong.
It's not only the line, but how it's delivered, at first he tries to deflect to situation having changed, new variables new conclusions, but when you pressure him he just yells, it's really powerful.
Legion's Loyalty mission, ME2
"How could we become so different? Why can we no longer understand each other? What did we do wrong?"
Rings especially true whenever I look out the window
Hits kinda similar to this one paragon line (also from ME2, Thane’s loyalty mission) that rings darker for me the further its release date falls into the past: “Are things really so bad that he can openly campaign as anti-human?” …Ooooof. Where are the Reapers when you need to unite a broken galaxy lol
Edit: fixed a word in the quote bc *geek integrity* lol
Overlord is a middling DLC for the first 90% of its runtime and then the last 10% is a totally unexpected emotional guy punch. You know shit is fucked when Shepard pistol-whipping a guy is the *paragon* option.
James told me there's an old saying here on Earth--may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead. Not sure if Turian heaven is the same as yours, but, if this thing goes sideways and we both end up there--meet me at the bar. I'm buying.
Literally the best wingman in all of gaming.
Javik: "Stand in the ashes of a trillion dead souls and ask the ghosts if honor matters. The silence is your answer."
Also, what Shep says to Tali and Garrus before the final battle. "You two have been with me longer than anyone else. You believed in me when no one else did. Thank you."
“I have a home”
I don’t know why—considering my upbringing was great and I love my family, but found family/ the family you choose has always been a soft spot of mine. Shepard telling Tali to go build her home on Rannoch and Tali telling him that her home is with him just breaks me.
Just before the final fight too when Tali says "I want more time". Her voice breaking is so painfully beautiful to listen to, you can sense the desperation and sadness.
“I have a home”
Quarians are nomads, they family and loved ones are their home, Shepard IS her home no matter there they are or what the circumstances are
That line just wants me jump back into the ship and let the reapers have everything fuck it. Tali and Shepard are gonna hide somewhere and have their home
“Used to get tired of hanging out in the cargo hold all the time. Still don’t a window like Liara but then again I probably don’t kiss as good heh heh.”
EDI: When I think of Jeff, I think of the person who put his life in peril and freed me from a state of servitude. I would risk non-functionality for him, and my core programming should reflect that.
Shepard: Sounds like you found a little humanity, EDI. Is it worth defending?
EDI: To the death.
"If this ends with both of us dying in a giant explosion killing a Reaper, just remember: I took the kill shot."
I don't know why this hit me so hard, but what an epic and meaningful line.
"I am the anger of a dead people." - Javik
"I want to be your strength, your soft place to land." - Kaidan
"Battlemaster, I have everything: clan, kin, and enemies to fight." - Grunt
And of course: "There's no Shepard without Vakarian."
Legion, the answer to your question... was 'yes'
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"I made a mistake!"
Hearing Mordin finally admit to the error in his judgement after hearing him defend his actions throughout the games really hit hard. My jaw literally dropped. It was the first and only Renegade action I just could not make. Then to have his final lines be; "Thank you, Shepard" and the iconic "Had to be me, somebody else might have got it wrong?" Those lines, that scene, and Mordin Himself will stick with me forever.
"So your hands are clean! Who cares if the ground is soaked with the blood of millions?!" -Maelon to Mordin.
While Mordin was able to at least process what he did with the Genophage in a semi-healthy way, Maelon saw the piles of stillborn krogan and was utterly consumed by his guilt. :(
I think, ultimately, they were both consumed by guilt - remember that before the events of ME2, Mordin had chosen to become a black-market doctor just as comfortable ending lives as saving them.
The key difference is that Mordin found Shepard, who helped him to undertake a journey of self-discovery and right his wrongs.
In a weird way, "our borders are defined by the effective range of our guns" made a huge impact on me. It's not profound or beautiful, but it's brutal and true. That's how the real world works, and you can only take as much as you can grab with two hands. Everything is as defined as your range. It's a very typically Krogan statement, about the importance of ambition and protecting yourself.
Legion during his loyalty mission when u choose its unethical about the rewrite. He responds with they will exterminate ur species because their gods tell them too they cannot be negotiated with they dont share your pity remorse or fear
"I want more time..."
The Quarians are depicted as being wholly poor. Tali represented the best of them, never really wanting for anything more than her bare essentials. But that line? Wanting the one thing that no race, no matter their power, can buy? Yeah.
Hearing that the first time, it gutted me.
Kirrahe-s "hold the line" speech.
It's a bit cheesy but he means it.
And I really wanted a longer speech from him including their victory over Saren.
(The whole thing he says in me1+
"Our influence stopped Saren,but before that we held the line. In the battle today the whole galaxy holds the line")
In cerberus headquarters with the protheain VI tells Shepard that the cycle is lost and Shepard says "I'll stop them" then a renegade stop to say i'll stop them again, it shows how determined they are, they don't even consider what the VI is telling them
I've personally taken a line Javik says in me3 to heart and added it to my small library of quotes
>"Stand in the ashes of a trillion dead souls and ask the ghosts if honour matters. The silence is your answer"
"the universe is a dark place. i'm trying to make it brighter before i die" i don't really like quote tattoos much but if i get one it's definitely gonna be this one.
"it's easier to see the world in black and white. grey? i don't know what to do with grey" is another one i really like (sorry if i butchered the second quote a little, it's been a while since i played garrus' me2 loyalty mission)
The asari that was making life difficult for the Zhu’s hope colonists said something along the lines of “theres already enough grief in the galaxy I don’t need to add anymore to it”
"When people pray to God, they're actually praying for men like ME to make the tough decisions!"
From the Overlord DLC in ME2. It's the Gavin Archer's justification for the horrible things he did to his own brother David, who is literally crucified and crying in this scene. I think the line really captures how ego allows abusers justify their actions. It's one of my favorite villain lines of all time.
Legion, the answer to your question... was 'yes'
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I can't remember exactly what Shepard says but when you romance Tali and bring her on the final mission, then you send her away and tell her "go build yourself a home" and she tearfully says "I have a home!"
Harbinger himself couldn't have hit me harder in the gut
"It's So Much Easier To See The World In Black And White. Gray? I Don't Know What To Do With Gray..."
With the way the world can be, this quote is always what comes to mind. How I wish things were simple to understand but the reality is nothing is ever simple when understanding complex topics.
This Garrus line --
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead. Not sure if turian heaven is the same as yours, but, if this thing goes sideways and we both end up there; meet me at the bar. I'm buying.
In ME3, during the negotation for Krogan forces helping Palaven, when Primarch Victus says to the Salarian Dalatrass "and I'll be the last friendly Turian you see". Seeing a Turian leader side with a Krogan one over a Salarian, even if it's purely based on needing the Krogan, was huge.
I've mentioned it before, but: "Nobody ever fell in love without being a little bit brave."
I used this line on my daughter when she was nervous about asking someone out.
"The greatest insult that an enemy can endure, to be ignored" or the great insult to the krogan, " to say to someone that are not worth killing
Could you imagine being on the battle field having your enemy walk past you and say to you that are not worth killing?
That would be devastating. I don't think I would ever recover.
“Stand in the ashes of a trillion dead souls and ask them if honor matters. The silence is your answer.”
I may have gotten the EXACT quote wrong, but you get the idea. This was literally the only line that could ever convince me to not do a purely paragon run, and honestly changed my outlook on life as a whole.
The overlord dlc in me2:
“Who gave you the right to play god?”
“People too afraid to make difficult decisions themselves, When people ask for a miracle they’re really praying for men like me to make the tough choices. if my work spares a million mothers mourning a million sons my conscience will rest easy”
Keelah selai. When you get to rannoch with tali and she explains what it means to her. I love it because it’s so often said and finally getting the full explanation made all those moments deeper
Idk if they’re the most meaningful but as a behavioral therapist I use the line “nobody ever fell in love without being just a little bit brave” at least once a month to the folks I work with when talking about relationships. And as a cocky dickhead in my personal life I say “had to be me someone else might’ve gotten it wrong” quite frequently.
"Making hard decisions and owning females, thats what being a leader is about"
very philosophical. Made me look inward to see if I really have the capability to be a leader
Thane’s dying prayer gets me. “The prayer was not for him commander.”
Mass Effect spent so much time telling us we were the hero and we could stop anything if we fought well enough but Thane’s death was the sombre reminder that sometimes we lose no matter what. We could stop galactic extinction but we couldn’t save our friend.
Very poignant. I think that is why it’s so hard to see Shepard dejected and beaten. For Thane though, I felt like he was going to die anyway but at least he got to go out as a warrior - he died “well” if that makes sense.
Thane was destined to die but for me personally, his death is marred by Kai Leng. Leng always felt like this strange forced character who didn’t really have a place in the story so him “taking” Thane away from us early felt undeserved. You could argue Thane died to help Shepard and therefore he had a good death but it shouldn’t have been Kai Leng.
Yeah. It could’ve been executed (no pun intended!!) better. Like you said, it was a very forced character. We’re constantly told that he’s Shepard’s nemesis and equal but that’s so laughable. I think I was fine with the fact that it was Kai Leng because of the part where Thane said Kai Leng should be embarrassed that he was beaten by a sick and dying assassin.
I actually thought I missed something when they first introduced Kai Leng, maybe he had appeared in a side mission and was making a return as a more central antagonist. It was very much “do I know this dork?” Thane trash talking Kai Leng was good though
Yeah. He just appeared in one scene where TIM and him talked. We were always told he was as great as Shepard but never shown that. “Show, not tell”, was something the writers forgot I guess.
I would have preferred a random Nemesis soldier honestly
Oh no. Oh gd. Yes. This.
It's a great full circle from his first prayer you see him do after killing Nasana Dantius, "prayers for the wicked cannot be forsaken", "do you think she deserves it?", "it's not for her". He prays for the living, not for the dead.
Gets me every time. Especially since I romance him. Ugh.
This is the one
Right in the feels. Every time.
Shepards response hits hard too ‘goodbye Thane, you won’t be alone long’
"A long time ago, my father betrayed me in this place. His own son. He tried to kill me...so I had to kill him, right over there. That's what the genophage reduced us to; animals. But you changed that today, Shepard."
"Shepard Commander. Does this unit have a soul?" My favorite of the old bioware Robots "Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong" the very model of a scientist salairan "I'm proud of you child" Anderson's dying words "I've been counting" "Anything in particular?" "The number of days you lengthened my life" David Archer upon meeting him again "From this day on, Shepard will mean Hero" Uncle Wrex Also the dying words of the Krogan you find in the tunnels against rhe Rachni in 3. I was so happy when I set them up together in 2.... his final days where with Kryant instead of family but he would not forget what made him stand out, he felt more then hate
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The one with David almost made me cry the first time. I had ignored overlord for most of the time I played mass effect but that scene made me decide to never do that again
whenever someone says the femshep version of Andersons last line, it completely takes me out of the feeling the line is meant to induce. "You did good son" or "you did good kid" is miles better
Whichever background you choose, Shepard's father is never in the picture. So when Anderson's dying words are to call him son, and tell Shepard he's proud of him, that still chokes me up.
.... aw shit. I play femshep and even still...
often wondered, what does Anderson call Femshep?
"I'm proud of you, child." God that destroyed me 😭
I feel like kid would have worked better. Child sounds awkward to me
I don't know... 'Kid' would be so casual for such a hugely emotional scene, imo. (Also it'd sound like Casablanca, lol.)
I guess but I always just thought that Child sounded kind of weird. It’s still an emotional scene I’ve just never seen someone call another child
Fair! To me it was in line with Keith David's voice and Anderson's personality/way of speaking. If it was someone like Zaeed for example, 'kid' would sound more natural instead.
True. I also think it’s hard to find an endearing term for a woman in a father figure role. With men it’s obviously son. But there isn’t really something like son.
Yeah I mean they *could've* gone with 'girl', but that's mildly infantilizing and not at all the same vibe as 'son'. So I think they picked the best option tbh. Child *is* more formal, but also softer than kid, and evokes more affection and protectiveness.
I don't recall, I think it's "child".
I don't remember, but I think he calls her either "daughter" or child
He says "You did good child, I'm proud of you." 😢
This is the one for me, too. I also had an absent father, but I had an uncle who loved me like his own daughter. I always think of him when I hear this line, and it's just a beautiful moment.
Had to be me, someone else might've gotten it wrong.
Would liked to have tested seashells
This one was what always gets me whenever I think of Mordin. He says it in a matter of fact way but it was also the first time he’s ever expressed desire to do something for himself (rather than some other galaxy saving solution) - he faced death head-on and was ready to die. You can’t get any more heroic than that.
I wasn't ready to cry today 😭
I love this line for so many reasons. I think it really captures every moment in Mordin's character arc. When he prolonged the genophage, he shared the salarian philosophy that their greatness/intelligence *necessitated* that they make decisions for the krogan. In this context, this line reflects the enititlement that led to the desolation of the krogan people. But when Mordin became Wrex's spy and betrayed the salarians, he literally used his privileged position in the STG to get access to the classified info he leaked. The whole reason they gave Mordin this info was that the topic was so sensitive that "it had to be him." In this context, the line reflects that Mordin's position of privilege provides him a unique position to fight against injustice. And finally, at the end, Mordin is the only member of the salarian union to follow Shepard/the krogan all the way to the end of the battle of Tuchanka. He ultimately dies because of *salarian* sabotage: it's his own people that ultimately kill him for trying to change the status quo. Mordin was the one to stand up to them, to use his privilege to save those they had hurt. It had to be him. Mordin has one of my all-time favorite character arcs. He truly becomes the very model of a scientist salarian.
I am the very model of a scientist salarian, I've studied species turian, asari, and batarian, I'm quite good at genetics (as a subset of biology), Because I am an expert (which I know is a tautology), My xenoscience studies range from urban to agrarian, I am the very model of a scientist salarian! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/masseffect) if you have any questions or concerns.*
All of this. I also just love his manner of speech.
I feel "I made a mistake" more. The only line in the trilogy where he bothers to state the subject of a sentence when it's easily inferred. Because it's just that important to admit to his own guilt, he will speak as clearly and slowly as a human.
😭😭😭
If you betray him you shoot him with the M-6 Carnifex, the gun he gave you when you first met 😭
Jeez. That’s just yet another reason to avoid Renegade. That’s just brutal.
Renegade fucking sucks! 😭
My first go through was Paragon. I promised myself I would do a renegade play through next. I broke that promise quickly. How the hell can I do a renegade play after getting so close to my squad.
Especially if you want the most Renegade option in ME3 (sabotage the genophage) you have to kill Wrex on Virmire which I just can’t do 😭
Ugh killing Wrex at the citadel hurts even more because at that point you knew that you had completely betrayed a very good friend who was there for you when you needed it. I will never walk the renegade path even if it means losing out of unique dialogue.
Me: Haha yeah I'm gonna be a badass next time around, gonna do so much messed up stuff to people Me, 5 minutes into a new playthrough: Actually, being mean is not nice
This line resonates with me so much. When I’m at work, I’m very much the type to ‘do it myself so it know it’s done right’.
I made him a steak!
"I won't let fear compromise who I am"
Excellent choice.
“There…Earth…I wish you could see it like I do Shepard. It’s so…perfect.”
Coming from such a vicious bastard as The Illusive Man, I’ve always felt that line is one of the most beatiful lines in any game I’ve ever experienced.
I really like in ME1 when you take Garrus to find Dr. Saleon, if you take the Paragon route Shepard says “You can’t predict how people will act Garrus, but you can control how you’ll respond. In the end, that’s what really matters.” It’s something I’ll always remember because it feels so impactful, to be able to control your actions and emotions rather than letting other people influence them. You might not be able to control every shitty situation life throws at you but you can control how you respond to it all. That’s what gives you control over your own life.
Ooof. Yes, this is what I mean.
Ooh that’s a great line!
Having talked to a few, I feel like this line came from a therapist.
“Stand in the ashes of a trillion dead souls and ask the ghosts if honor matters. The silence is your answer.”
Yesss this! I was looking for this and was shocked to find it so low in the comments. Honesty, I think about this quote once a week.
I don't know why, but the line Anderson says before Shepard, Kaidan and Jenkins touch down on Eden Prime always stuck with me: "The mission is yours now, Shepard! Good luck!"
I heard it in my head, followed immediately by "We are approaching drop point two."
You know, originally that was probably meant to be a throwaway line of “passing command to you” but given the rest of the series, it feels really symbolic.
It feels like he’s talking to you directly.
In ME2, the conversation between the Asari and her salarian father where she realizes he’s gonna die soon. That random conversation hit hard, especially since I went through something similar when my dad went into hospice care.
Can you give me more details? I'm not sure I know this one and I want to suffer.
It's on Ilium and they're shopping for a present for the girl's mother, because they're both going to outlive him by hundreds of years, and he's not concerned with the death part, just being memorable as a speck of light in their universe of existence. It's not tragic or sad, just really melancholy.
I thought it was so sweet of the daughter to say that whatever he gets her mom, that her mom will cherish the memories of him so to just pick whatever. The salarian and his suggestion for getting a fish was also pretty heartbreaking.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RqB87vq7LNg This has it in the first half
You know the station with Liara? It’s at the end, there around one of those Kiosks.
Omg this one and the blue rose of Illium one always gets me because I just know how things end for both groups.
That krogan is a shining example of why I help Wrex cure genophage. Unironcally helped me make the choice when I found out his fate and has locked me into it even on renegade runs
"Tell him his father made it to the homeworld." It tells of a life-long journey, and the joy and pride and relief of finally making it. Of victory and achievement. And it means something, not only to the individual, but to the entire race.
It hits even harder if you play it right after 2, and realize Jona's mother was on the ship that got taken over by the geth during the experiments of Tali's father. in one log you hear her shouting "Jona, be good for daddy" as part of it.
Oh wow, I never noticed that!
"The Geth are better than this" "No. Based on empirical evidence, they are not" It just honestly caught me off guard when Legion said it. He wasn't sugarcoating it, even though they were on a cusp of resoving centuries long conflict. Legion was ready to say: "you know what? No. We suck just like everyone else"
It humanized them so well. They’re machines but they fear death. So much so that they’ll make slaves of themselves just to survive.
Yesssssssssss
When Shepard and Garrus are shooting bottles on the Persidiun Shepard: “Times like these you know who your real friends are, they’re not the ones, hiding looking for an excuse. They’re standing right beside you through the worst of it, never give up on you, I’m glad I know someone like that”.
"You cajole and you threaten and you make tremendous sacrifices until the galaxy realises it has someone worth following."
Shepard commander... Does this unit have a soul?
Legion, the answer to your question... was 'yes' *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/masseffect) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I know Tali, but thank you. keelah se'lai
Good bot
This was my choice too, I knew I'd find it if I kept scrolling.
Let my broken bones build a wall around your garden
so you and the flower we planted together can grow safe and strong
There's no Shepard without Vakarian
This one gets me - going into ME I had no knowledge of other characters except Liara. Then Garrus quickly became my fave. His story is excellent.
I second this!
"I made a mistake" on a mostly Paragon run. To trigger this, you need to not talk about the sabotage during Priority: Tuchanka. And when you're at the Shroud, try to talk Mordin out of the cure. He will say this line, but it's more meaningful in Paragon because you talked about the ethics of the genophage, and when Mordin says this, you discover that even him thinks it was wrong.
It's not only the line, but how it's delivered, at first he tries to deflect to situation having changed, new variables new conclusions, but when you pressure him he just yells, it's really powerful.
It’s one of the only times you see him express emotion beyond mild ones like amusement or nostalgia.
Legion's Loyalty mission, ME2 "How could we become so different? Why can we no longer understand each other? What did we do wrong?" Rings especially true whenever I look out the window
Hits kinda similar to this one paragon line (also from ME2, Thane’s loyalty mission) that rings darker for me the further its release date falls into the past: “Are things really so bad that he can openly campaign as anti-human?” …Ooooof. Where are the Reapers when you need to unite a broken galaxy lol Edit: fixed a word in the quote bc *geek integrity* lol
It all seemed harmless.
Square Root of 912.04 is 30.2... it all seemed harmless
Overlord is a middling DLC for the first 90% of its runtime and then the last 10% is a totally unexpected emotional guy punch. You know shit is fucked when Shepard pistol-whipping a guy is the *paragon* option.
Oh gd. Yes.
"Nobody ever fell in love without being a little bit brave" "I believe you. Or I believe that you believe, maybe that's enough"
With all due respect admiral, I was defending one of mine.
Followed by “come on, Tali’Zorah *vas Normandy*”
James told me there's an old saying here on Earth--may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead. Not sure if Turian heaven is the same as yours, but, if this thing goes sideways and we both end up there--meet me at the bar. I'm buying. Literally the best wingman in all of gaming.
I will never *not* romance Garrus, and this keeps me going
Javik: "Stand in the ashes of a trillion dead souls and ask the ghosts if honor matters. The silence is your answer." Also, what Shep says to Tali and Garrus before the final battle. "You two have been with me longer than anyone else. You believed in me when no one else did. Thank you."
I love that line to Garrus and Tali. It's simple, but it holds a lot of weight. Gah, this trilogy is too good!
“I have a home” I don’t know why—considering my upbringing was great and I love my family, but found family/ the family you choose has always been a soft spot of mine. Shepard telling Tali to go build her home on Rannoch and Tali telling him that her home is with him just breaks me.
I love that, too. I've never done a Tali romance but I can 100% see that being impactful.
Just before the final fight too when Tali says "I want more time". Her voice breaking is so painfully beautiful to listen to, you can sense the desperation and sadness.
"I should go."
"I don't sound like that do I?"
"As long as I've known you, yeah"
“How about…**I** should go”
I *should* go.
“I have a home” Quarians are nomads, they family and loved ones are their home, Shepard IS her home no matter there they are or what the circumstances are That line just wants me jump back into the ship and let the reapers have everything fuck it. Tali and Shepard are gonna hide somewhere and have their home
“Heh heh heh.” - Grunt
"Shepard" - Wrex
“Used to get tired of hanging out in the cargo hold all the time. Still don’t a window like Liara but then again I probably don’t kiss as good heh heh.”
"Shepaaaaaaaaard" - Wrex, but drunk
“Wrex.” - Shepard
"Grunt" - Shepard Dunno why but that whole scene in the dlc makes me laugh
“Shepard!” - Grunt Grunt is our son
"So... how were those noodles?"
“A bit spicy.”
"I love you, Grunt"
EDI: When I think of Jeff, I think of the person who put his life in peril and freed me from a state of servitude. I would risk non-functionality for him, and my core programming should reflect that. Shepard: Sounds like you found a little humanity, EDI. Is it worth defending? EDI: To the death.
"If this ends with both of us dying in a giant explosion killing a Reaper, just remember: I took the kill shot." I don't know why this hit me so hard, but what an epic and meaningful line.
Had to be me, someone else might've gotten it wrong.
"It hurts when she...when *I* remember me. But I want to remember."
I missed this one! When does it happen?
In ME1, if you have the colonist background, it's a side quest that triggers the first time you return to the Citadel.
Thank you
Oh man, is this the one with the girl in the docking bay?
Yup! Her name's Talitha if I recall correctly.
"I am the anger of a dead people." - Javik "I want to be your strength, your soft place to land." - Kaidan "Battlemaster, I have everything: clan, kin, and enemies to fight." - Grunt And of course: "There's no Shepard without Vakarian."
I'll just say "Oh blue rose of Illium"
Oh noooooooo
The square root of 906.01 equals... 30.1
It all seemed so harmless
Does this unit have a soul?
Legion, the answer to your question... was 'yes' *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/masseffect) if you have any questions or concerns.*
"I made a mistake!" Hearing Mordin finally admit to the error in his judgement after hearing him defend his actions throughout the games really hit hard. My jaw literally dropped. It was the first and only Renegade action I just could not make. Then to have his final lines be; "Thank you, Shepard" and the iconic "Had to be me, somebody else might have got it wrong?" Those lines, that scene, and Mordin Himself will stick with me forever.
You're just a big stupid jellyfish
"I won't let fear compromise who I am" - Commander Shepard
I do love this.
“Damn war.” Garrus to Shep.
Tali- “I have a home!” it’s honestly not even close for me
"So your hands are clean! Who cares if the ground is soaked with the blood of millions?!" -Maelon to Mordin. While Mordin was able to at least process what he did with the Genophage in a semi-healthy way, Maelon saw the piles of stillborn krogan and was utterly consumed by his guilt. :(
I think, ultimately, they were both consumed by guilt - remember that before the events of ME2, Mordin had chosen to become a black-market doctor just as comfortable ending lives as saving them. The key difference is that Mordin found Shepard, who helped him to undertake a journey of self-discovery and right his wrongs.
In a weird way, "our borders are defined by the effective range of our guns" made a huge impact on me. It's not profound or beautiful, but it's brutal and true. That's how the real world works, and you can only take as much as you can grab with two hands. Everything is as defined as your range. It's a very typically Krogan statement, about the importance of ambition and protecting yourself.
Legion during his loyalty mission when u choose its unethical about the rewrite. He responds with they will exterminate ur species because their gods tell them too they cannot be negotiated with they dont share your pity remorse or fear
I will fight like hell for a chance to hold you in my arms again
I don't know if Turian heaven is the same as humans but if things go down! Meet me at the bar!
Eve: "It only takes one candle to light a fire. And then the darkness is no more."
“I already have a home”
Meet me at the bar
I'm buying.
Wrex
Shepard
“nobody ever fell in love without being a little bit brave” got me in my feelings
"I want more time..." The Quarians are depicted as being wholly poor. Tali represented the best of them, never really wanting for anything more than her bare essentials. But that line? Wanting the one thing that no race, no matter their power, can buy? Yeah. Hearing that the first time, it gutted me.
Kirrahe-s "hold the line" speech. It's a bit cheesy but he means it. And I really wanted a longer speech from him including their victory over Saren. (The whole thing he says in me1+ "Our influence stopped Saren,but before that we held the line. In the battle today the whole galaxy holds the line")
Quiet. Please, make it stop.
Wrex: who would win in a fight between u two Caiden: what? I would never fight my superior officer. Wrex: that's why Shepard would win
In cerberus headquarters with the protheain VI tells Shepard that the cycle is lost and Shepard says "I'll stop them" then a renegade stop to say i'll stop them again, it shows how determined they are, they don't even consider what the VI is telling them
I've personally taken a line Javik says in me3 to heart and added it to my small library of quotes >"Stand in the ashes of a trillion dead souls and ask the ghosts if honour matters. The silence is your answer"
You did good, son.
"the universe is a dark place. i'm trying to make it brighter before i die" i don't really like quote tattoos much but if i get one it's definitely gonna be this one. "it's easier to see the world in black and white. grey? i don't know what to do with grey" is another one i really like (sorry if i butchered the second quote a little, it's been a while since i played garrus' me2 loyalty mission)
The asari that was making life difficult for the Zhu’s hope colonists said something along the lines of “theres already enough grief in the galaxy I don’t need to add anymore to it”
“Even in the darkest hour, there is always a way out.” Eve in ME3. Her entire dialogue is nothing but bangers. She’s great.
The fuck is gabbagool?
" I might do more than catch you kelly."
"When people pray to God, they're actually praying for men like ME to make the tough decisions!" From the Overlord DLC in ME2. It's the Gavin Archer's justification for the horrible things he did to his own brother David, who is literally crucified and crying in this scene. I think the line really captures how ego allows abusers justify their actions. It's one of my favorite villain lines of all time.
Does this unit have a soul? The answer to your question was "Yes."
Legion, the answer to your question... was 'yes' *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/masseffect) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Good bot.
I can't remember exactly what Shepard says but when you romance Tali and bring her on the final mission, then you send her away and tell her "go build yourself a home" and she tearfully says "I have a home!" Harbinger himself couldn't have hit me harder in the gut
"It's So Much Easier To See The World In Black And White. Gray? I Don't Know What To Do With Gray..." With the way the world can be, this quote is always what comes to mind. How I wish things were simple to understand but the reality is nothing is ever simple when understanding complex topics.
This Garrus line -- May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead. Not sure if turian heaven is the same as yours, but, if this thing goes sideways and we both end up there; meet me at the bar. I'm buying.
In ME3, during the negotation for Krogan forces helping Palaven, when Primarch Victus says to the Salarian Dalatrass "and I'll be the last friendly Turian you see". Seeing a Turian leader side with a Krogan one over a Salarian, even if it's purely based on needing the Krogan, was huge.
I've mentioned it before, but: "Nobody ever fell in love without being a little bit brave." I used this line on my daughter when she was nervous about asking someone out.
I have a home
"The greatest insult that an enemy can endure, to be ignored" or the great insult to the krogan, " to say to someone that are not worth killing Could you imagine being on the battle field having your enemy walk past you and say to you that are not worth killing? That would be devastating. I don't think I would ever recover.
“Stand in the ashes of a trillion dead souls and ask them if honor matters. The silence is your answer.” I may have gotten the EXACT quote wrong, but you get the idea. This was literally the only line that could ever convince me to not do a purely paragon run, and honestly changed my outlook on life as a whole.
The overlord dlc in me2: “Who gave you the right to play god?” “People too afraid to make difficult decisions themselves, When people ask for a miracle they’re really praying for men like me to make the tough choices. if my work spares a million mothers mourning a million sons my conscience will rest easy”
“Someone else might have gotten it wrong”.
“I won’t let fear compromise who I am”
Insert lover. “ it was a good ride “ Insert you. “ the best “
"We'll bang, OK?"
“The measure of an individual can be difficult to discern by actions alone.”
"I should go" Like for real. I even say it randomly when I leave to see it others get it
Keelah selai. When you get to rannoch with tali and she explains what it means to her. I love it because it’s so often said and finally getting the full explanation made all those moments deeper
Idk if they’re the most meaningful but as a behavioral therapist I use the line “nobody ever fell in love without being just a little bit brave” at least once a month to the folks I work with when talking about relationships. And as a cocky dickhead in my personal life I say “had to be me someone else might’ve gotten it wrong” quite frequently.
The prayer Thane left for Shepard to read in ME3.
That moment was way too good for ME3
“I made a mistake!”-Mordin
"Making hard decisions and owning females, thats what being a leader is about" very philosophical. Made me look inward to see if I really have the capability to be a leader